016 Reunion, Parting

Back online again, Duan Qing decided to follow the advice of some veteran players—“elders” on the forum—and start with a few trials.

He first raised his Strength to ten points. Although the wild boar's death wasn’t directly caused by him, the experience he gained pushed him up to level nine. After distributing points, he still had three attribute points left.

Casually swinging his weapon a few times, Duan Qing immediately noticed a change—a sensation he had never felt in the real world: a feeling of robust power.

With Strength at ten points, he felt as if he could take on ten opponents at once. The character’s newfound vigor gave Duan Qing an inexplicable confidence, though he quickly reminded himself that anyone randomly picked in this world probably had better stats than him. Gradually, the excitement faded.

Still, there were some things he could now attempt. Reflecting on his recent experiences and the extraordinary advice from online prodigies, he slowly made his way outside the village in search of an old acquaintance: a wild wolf.

“If I’m not mistaken...” At last, by a small river, he spotted a wolf drinking water. The wolf wasted no time and lunged at him with a fierce bite.

This time, Duan Qing didn’t try to dodge. Instead, he raised his short sword horizontally before his chest. “I should be able to do this now...!”

Snap!

He held his sword steady and braced forward, the blade intercepting the wolf’s attack. By instinct, the wolf bit down on the metal, producing a harsh metallic screech.

The two tangled figures staggered back a couple of steps, the wolf’s momentum finally halted. Duan Qing grinned, exerting more force, pressing the wolf back.

With a whimper of pain, the wolf was forced to release its grip on the sword. Due to Duan Qing’s strength, the wolf’s teeth were injured, bleeding faintly. Anyone witnessing this might have mistaken the scene for the wolf injuring Duan Qing.

“Hmm, the test was successful, but I still need to practice to make the force application more precise...” Duan Qing muttered to himself before dispatching the unfortunate wolf. Then he checked the system notification for the newly acquired skill and opened the skill menu.

[Parry: Use a weapon to block an enemy’s attack.]

[Effect varies depending on the situation.]

[Power: 60%]

[Skill requirements: Melee weapon, shield]

The explanation was still brief, but between the lines, the skill system’s secrets were hinted at.

First, both Block and Parry can be used when wielding a shield. So... what’s the difference between these two skills?

Is it the motion? The effect? Or is there no difference at all?

Players specializing in shields might understand better. If he ever met one, Duan Qing would definitely ask. Oh, Steel Heart should be a good candidate.

Putting that question aside for now, Duan Qing turned his attention to a more noteworthy detail: the weapon classifications.

Since the Free World is a realm of swords and magic, shields naturally exist. But the skill requirements clearly separated shields from melee weapons. This means shields and similar items don’t belong to the weapon system.

“Of course, saying ‘shields aren’t weapons’ is obvious—a standard setting in most games—but players like me think further,” Duan Qing considered. For example, the skill system for using a shield alone, or the unique offensive and defensive modes shields offer, differ from conventional weapons. If a player wields two shields, basic attacks like slashes or stabs probably wouldn’t be possible, but blocking and parrying would become essential skills. And who knows how many other shield-related skills there might be?

If he delved deeper, since shields aren’t part of the melee weapon system, many other items might be excluded too, or perhaps “melee weapons” are just a tiny fraction of the complex weapon systems in the Free World.

Come to think of it, since arriving here, Duan Qing hadn’t yet seen any so-called ranged weapons, nor any truly magical weapons...

Indeed, pondering these aspects was always fascinating.

Duan Qing smiled wryly and set aside his musings on the weapon system for the moment, focusing instead on the second line of the skill description—the power of Parry: 60%.

Now that he thought about it, Block had a power of 50%... So these skills actually have offensive properties?

No way, blocking and parrying can really deal damage...

Normally, these two would be defensive skills, used to block or deflect attacks and avoid harm. Now the system clearly told him these skills could be used offensively...

Duan Qing recalled the double-shield warrior from the finals years ago and felt a twinge of nostalgia.

Although these descriptions deepened his understanding of the skill system in the Free World, he still hadn’t figured out how to use block or parry offensively in practice.

Perhaps it required a huge difference in attributes, like Strength—maybe slamming an opponent away with a shield or stunning them with a sword. But that seemed a bit unrealistic...

His mind conjured a scene from a martial arts world: a young disciple swings a blade at a sword master, only to be blasted away by a single counterstrike.

As beautiful as that image was, it was too far-fetched.

Rubbing his hair, Duan Qing figured he would experience these things sooner or later and decided not to dwell on them now. Just then, a frivolous voice sounded behind him.

“The outside world is dangerous, young man, yet here you stand daydreaming... Oh! You killed that wolf? Looks like I underestimated you. But, cough cough... you still can’t match me. Want to join my crew, kid?”

Duan Qing turned to see a man approaching, clapping his hands.

The man wore a coarse linen garment—handwoven, basic clothing with many telltale signs: bare hands and feet, holes all over, so much so that a breeze could billow the fabric like a balloon. The tattered rags made Duan Qing cringe, yet the man’s demeanor bore no hint of poverty. Instead, he puffed himself up like a balloon.

“Why so silent? Don’t you trust my character? Back in Jiecheng, I was a feared boss with hundreds of skilled followers—any one of them could take on a hundred foes. And you haven’t even heard my name...”

Seeing Duan Qing silent, the man, like a bursting balloon, launched into a practiced tirade. Duan Qing covered his forehead, bewildered by the strange fellow’s intentions. Soon, he had to cut him off.

“That guy Duan Fenglei, Free Flying and the others—all were once under my command. So if you go out there and drop my name, I guarantee you’ll have...”

“Stop, stop! Brother, just spit it out if you’ve got something to say...” Duan Qing’s head was starting to ache.

“Huh? Nothing really, hahaha... I just saw you’re skilled and clever. Want to join me and make something of ourselves?”

“Hold on!” Duan Qing gestured to pause and wiped non-existent sweat from his brow. “Alright, big shot, I get it. Since you’re so impressive, why not try your hand over there? That place called Emerald Forest—maybe you should test your skills there?”

Seeing this guy was a clueless blockhead, Duan Qing didn’t bother with formalities and tried a different tactic to send him off. Unexpectedly, the man nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, yeah, I was planning to go there myself. Looks like we think alike! Haha, great minds think alike! How about we grab a few drinks first, get acquainted, and if we hit it off, maybe swear brotherhood... Hey, stranger, what’s that gesture you’re making...”

Duan Qing made a universally recognized hand sign, finally cutting off the odd chatter. He thought, today’s luck is terrible—just trying to kill a few monsters, and he runs into such a character. He stared at the man and the ID above his head.

His name was really Jiecheng’s Scoundrel. Who are these people playing games nowadays...

Duan Qing struck a pose expressing silent disbelief, then noticed the man was about to launch into more of his spiel. Quickly, he stopped him again.

“Alright, alright, I get it. You don’t talk now, I’ll ask you some questions.”

He planned to take control of the conversation. Jiecheng’s Scoundrel complied, though his expectant gaze made Duan Qing uneasy.

Sighing, Duan Qing thought for a moment. “You want to go to the Emerald Forest, right?”

The man nodded happily.

“Do you have some... I’m not trying to pry, but do you have a mission to complete there? Something risky to do alone, so you’re looking for help?”

“Yes, yes! Young man, you get it—truly one of us...” The man nodded again, preparing to launch into another story.

“No.” Duan Qing cut him off decisively this time.

“Huh?” The scoundrel was caught off guard.

Duan Qing smiled at his stunned expression, then turned and walked away. The man finally caught up from behind.

“Hey, hey, don’t go yet! Why? Following me means you’ll eat well and drink better... uh, I mean, if we succeed, you’ll get a good share, well, maybe not exactly that...”

Unable to continue, the man trailed off disappointed. Duan Qing glanced back to see him standing dejectedly, no longer pressing him, so he ignored him and returned to the village.

He wondered if there was anything worthwhile to do besides leveling up. Suddenly recalling the girl should still be in bed, he decided to check on her. Yet, upon arrival, Meng Zhu’s figure was nowhere to be found—she must have logged off.

At the clinic’s entrance, Duan Qing ran into Steel Heart.

By now, Steel Heart was clad in imposing armor. Where he got it from was a mystery, but it gave off a formidable aura. With him stood two or three other players who looked far beyond the novice village stage.

“Hey, Iron Brother, just the guy I wanted to find...”

“I’m leaving,” Duan Qing said.

“Leaving? Where to?”

“Outside. The world out there is exciting, brother. You should work hard and leave here to make your mark!”

Old friends meeting, Steel Heart was clearly pleased, grinning broadly and clapping Duan Qing’s shoulder hard enough to make him grimace.

Steel Heart introduced the two others: a tall, thin man with a sullen expression named Night Scale, and another with a short, buzz-cut hairstyle named Rice Head. Their names were unusual but were old friends Steel Heart knew before he gave up his martial arts skills. They had come to fetch the new recruit, Iron Brother. Both greeted Duan Qing warmly, showing familiarity.

When they discussed their destinations, plans, and prospects, Steel Heart mentioned his intention to temporarily join a friend’s guild.

“It takes several days to reach the nearest town from here—what a remote place... Just kidding, I love this area: clear mountains, pure water, honest folk. It’s a pity I haven’t ventured deep into that great forest yet. Wonder if I’ll get the chance someday...”

Facing friends met in the novice village and soon to part ways, Steel Heart was somewhat sentimental, reflecting on their time as newcomers.

“No worries, I’ll check it out for you.”

“What use is that from you? You’re weak now... Well, maybe if it’s you, it might just work.” Steel Heart winked mysteriously.

They chatted casually for a while before it was time to part. Being men and having known each other for a short time, there was little sentimentality. Before leaving, Steel Heart said, “Remember to say goodbye to the blacksmith for me... And I’ll be waiting for you in the outside world. Hope we get to fight side by side someday.”

“Sounds like a setup for something...” Duan Qing smiled. “Of course there will be a chance. And... it’s been great knowing you.”

Steel Heart smiled back, then his grin turned sly. “By the way, if you see that girl, make sure to win her over...”

“If it’s Meng Zhu, I’ve already met her.”

“What? You’ve already made a move on her...”

“Haha...”

At midday in early spring, a cool breeze scented with flowers swept past them, carrying their laughter into the distance. The warm sunlight above felt just like the mood of these two parting friends.